Rope-testing machine.



A. N. FAULKNER.

ROPE TESTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1914.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

THE CPLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

A. N. FAULKNER.

ROPE TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1914.

THE COLUMBIA PLANDGRAFH c0-, WASHRflUFON. D. c.

A. N. FAULKNER.

ROPE TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men Nov.'20. 1914.

1,168,870.. I Patented Ja11.18, 1916.

a SVHEETSSHEET 3.

THE COLUMBIA pungcakApn co., WASHINGTON, D. c

are eras earner orr ipn.

ALBERT N. FA'UILKNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB '10 CHESEBRO WHITMAN00., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ROIPE TESTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 18, 1915.

Application filed November 20, 1914. Serial No. 873,141.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I ALBERT N. FAULKNER, a subject of the King of England,and resident of New York, in the borough of Manhattan, county andStateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRope-Testing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rope-testing machines, and has for its objectto provide a machine to test rope that is usedfor scaffolding devicesand similar structures, wherein the lives of the operatives depend uponthe secure holding of the suspending rope.

The object is to furnish a machine which will subject the rope to housedin installations of the character referred to, to a test correspondingto a strength greater than that needed in actual use, so as to enableany defects in the rope which would be the cause of the breaking of thesame to be found, before the rope goes into use.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and will be morefully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a rope-testing machineembodying the invention, Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, Fig. 3 is an endview thereof on a larger scale, Fig. 4 is a detail view of therope-winding member, Fig. 5 is a detail view partly in section,

of the braking device, and Fig. 6 is a side I view thereof.

Similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout thevarious figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and 'more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, themachine com:

prises a frame having horizontal members 10 and transverse end-members11. These are supported by standards 12 secured to a base-plate 13, andthe whole is strengthened by diagonal braces 15. Arranged at one end ofthe frame is a braking mechanism 18 clearly shown in Fig. 2, whichserves to retard the movement of the rope against a pulling actionexerted by a pulling mechanism 19 at the other end of the frame.

y the relative forces exerted'bythe drawing mechanism 19 and theretarding mechanism 18, a certain amount of pull is exerted on the rope20 between the points 21 and 22, and. thereby that portion of the ropemomentabut in the event of the pull being greater or the retardationbeing greater, the scale beam 24 is moved correspondingly, and therebythe operative knows that the proper relationship of the pull andretardation is not being maintained. To carry out this operation, thebraking mechanism consists of a Pronybrake, the drum 34 of which ismounted on a shaft 30, supported in bearings 31 and 32, and issurrounded by the flexible band 35, which band is secured at 36 and at37, and is operated by means of the lever 38 having the handle 39 andpivoted at 40, and which has one end 41 secured to the end 36 of theband 35. By the downward movement of the handle 39, the band 35 istightened around the drum 34, and the individual friction blocks 42exert thereby greater friction on the drum 34 than when the band 35 isloose. By varying the pressure applied to the handle 39, greater or lessfriction is exerted and thereby the movement of the shaft 30 iscorrespondingly affected. The crossrod 40 issupported between curvedarms 44 which are secured at their rear ends to a shaft 45 which ismounted in bearings, 16, 17, which areslidably mounted in guide blocks25, 26, secured to the frame of the machine.

The bearings 31 and 32 are movable in guide-ways 46 and 47. .The shaft30 passes through the arms 44, and hence said arms 23. The scale 23 iarranged in the usual, and well known manner, and haslevers 24,

54, and weights 56, 57 and 58 operated in the Gear-wheels 130, 131, v

mark 64 are opposite each other, equilibrium exists between the weightedscale and the amount of pull exerted on the rope.

The rope to be tested passes from a suitable reel or coil (notshown)over apulley 67 secured to'the shaft 45, and then over,

a pulley 66 secured to the shaft 30.

Atthe other end'of the machine a pulling device is arranged-whichreceives the rope 20 from pulley 66, over a pulley 68 having lateralflanges 69. Thence the rope passes over a second pulley 70 also providedwith lateral flanges 71, wherefrom it is guided v by an idler 72 havingflanges .73, and then on to a winding reel 75. This winding reel issupported on a shaft 76 which is guided in bearings 77 and 78, and has aradial flange 79 which serves to prevent the rope from getting incontact in any way with the frame of the machine. From the flange 79arms 80 extend outwardly. I The arms have at their ends collapsiblefingers- 81 which serve to retain the rope between the 9 during thewind-- fingers 81 and the flange 7 ing of the rope on the reel. Afterthe en-- tire rope hasbeen tested and wound onthe reel, and itis'desired to remove 'the'rope, the fingers 81 are collapsed, wherebytherope'may be readily removed in the form of a coil from the reel. Each ofthese collapsible fingers consists of a member 81 pivoted at 83 to thearm 80, and adapted to be held in upright position by two links 84 and85pivoted to each other at 86, one of which links has a lug 87 whichserves to hold the links 84 and 85 in'the position shown in Fig. 4, andprevent these links 84 and85 fromco-llapsing, and thereby cause thelinks 84 and 85 to operate as ifonly one strut were present,

to hold the member 81 in upright position.

When, however, it is desired to collapse the fingers 81, the links 84and 85 are moved so'asto take the position shown inv dotted lines inFig. 4. Having thus moved the fingers 81 out of the path of the rope,the coil which is wound on the reel may be readily removed. For thepurpose of suitably sup porting the links 85 and positioning the fingers81, the arms 80 are recessedas indicated at 88, and theoutwardly-projecting portions 89 act. as supports and bearings for thepivots 90 of the links 85. A spider 91 i on the shaft i'G supports thearms at their outer ends. V I

The, pulling mechanism is operated by, a transmission train from themotor 100, which is suitably arranged onthe base of the machine. Themotor shaft 101 has a pulley 102 over which a belt 103 passes to pulley104, in the direction ofthe arrow 105. fThe pulley 104 is mounted on avshaft 106 sup-,

- ported in bearings 10'? and 108 and trans mits power by a pulley 109,belt 110, and pulley 111, to a countershaft 27. To the shaft 2'? theidler 72 above referred tois also secured. The shaft 27 is also providedwith a pinion 112 which meshes with a'gear 113 secured to the shaft 114,which shaft is supported in bearings 115 andcarries the pulley 68. Tothe shaft 114, the gear 117 is secured which meshes with the gear-118secured to the shaft 119. To shaft 119 the pulley is secured The shaft114 has also secured thereto a pulley 120 which is provided with agroove 121', over which a ropebelt 122passes. The rope 122 passes alsoover a pulley 123 which is provided with a groove 124, andsecured to theshaft 7 6. The objectof using a rope-belt between the pulleys 120 and123 mm provide a yielding transmission, as the rope 122 will slip on thepulleys, as may be necessary during the reel 75. By this train ofmechanism, the pulleys 68 and 70 are rotated in the di ection of thearrows125 and 126, and they cause the-rope 20 to be given the necessarypull so as to draw it away. from the braking mechanism. By the amount ofresistance offered by the brakingmechanism against the pull offered bythe pulling Jmechanisin,

the portion of the rope 20 between the points 21 and 22 is subjected tothe necessary test.

By the operation of these parts as described, the entire rope whichis'intended to be used for scafi'olding devices or the like, issubjected to a test of the necessary pounds pull, and in the event ofany weakstrands in the rope which are unable to resist this pull, theywill break, and the operative in. examining the rope on the winding drum80 will discover'th se breaks and thereby 1 cause the rope to bediscarded or repaired as the case be. I

clear that cables of. steel, wire, copper or other suitable material ofone or, more strands, w1res,.cha1ns, cordage, line, etc.',

c may be used and tested instead of the rope.

I claim:

1. A rope-testing machine, comprising rope advancing means, roperetarding means spaced therefrom, and comprising a slidably-mountedProny-bralre mechanism, and a scale connected with said mechanism andexerting a constant pull thereon away from the advancing-means.

2. A rope-testing machine, comprising ropeadvancing means,rope-retarding means spaced therefrom, and comprising a slidably-mountedProny-bralre mechanism, a scale connected with said mechanism and eX-erting a constant pull thereon away from the advancing means, means fordriving said advancing means at constant speed, and a winding-reelbeyond the advancing means.

3. A. rope-testing machine, comprising rope advancing means, roperetarding means spaced therefrom, and comprising a slidably-mountedProny-brake mechanism, a scale connected with said mechanism and eX-erting a constant pull thereon away from the advancing means, means fordriving said advancing-means at constant speed, a winding-reel leyondthe advancing means, and a slip-belt connecting said windingreel withsaid driving-means.

4. A. rope-testing machine, comprising rope advancing means, and roperetarding means spaced therefrom and consisting of parallel shafts,means connecting the same at a fixed distance, rope-pulleys, one on eachshaft, gears between said shafts for causing them to turn simultaneouslyat the same speed, a friction-drum secured to one shaft, a friction-bandapplied to said drum, a lever connected with the end of said band fortightening or loosening the same on the drum, bearings for said shafts,shiftable toward and away from the advancing means, and a pulling-meansconnected with one set of said bearings and exerting a constant pullthereon away from the ropeadvancing means.

5. A. rope-testing machine, comprising rope advancing means, androperetarding means spaced therefrom and consisting of parallel shafts,means connecting the same at a fixed distance, rope-pulleys, one on eachshaft, gears between said shafts for causing them to turn simultaneouslyat the same speed, a friction-drum secured to one shaft, a friction-bandapplied to said drum, 2. manually-operable lever connected with the endsof said band for tightening or loosening the same on the drum, bearingsfor said shafts, shiftable toward and away from the advancing means, anda pulling-means connected with one set of said bearings andexerting aconstant pull thereon away from the ropeadvancing means, saidpullingmeans comprising a scale-beam and weights adjustable thereon.

6. A testing machine, comprising retarding means adapted to exert aretarding action on a line to be tested, advancing means spaced from thesaid retarding means, and adapted to guide the line away from saidretarding means and means adapted to regulate the retardation of thesaid retarding means, to exert a predetermined pull on the line guidedbetween the said retarding means and the said advancing means.

7. A testing machine, comprising slidably mounted retarding means,adapted toexert a retarding action on a line to be tested advancingmeans spaced from said retarding means, and adapted to guide the lineaway.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

